


Halo Effect

by peccolia



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Female Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, F/F, Family Drama, Multi, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person Omniscient, Parenthood, Pre-Naruto Canon Era, Self-Insert, Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-08-28 19:17:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16729176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peccolia/pseuds/peccolia
Summary: Finally getting things right doesn't mean every problem goes away. Change is constant and it only gets harder from here—but there are always friends and family to rely on in troubling times. SI OC. (Follows the aftermath ofLateralityas a sequel/continuation.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Let's get this show on the road, then. Welcome to the AO3-edition continuation of Laterality! If you're new, you can probably read along without having read Laterality first, but if you'd like to catch up and have all the nitty gritty details, click [HERE](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10406024/1/Laterality) for the preceding fic (on FFnet), which will not be available on this site for a long, long time. If you're a returner, it's good to have you back. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the start!
> 
> This fic will only be updated here on AO3 from this point on as part of my great and long-time-coming divorce from FFnet. Feel free to follow me on tumblr at [peccolias](http://peccolias.tumblr.com/) or [peccoliawrites](https://peccoliawrites.tumblr.com/) for updates, progress info, and excerpts!

_The nest of memories crumbles from underneath my feet._

_The shell that it was protecting is breaking into pieces._

_The people on the other side of the narrow light_

_Are just like me, are just like you._

— _Halo Effect, Yanagi Nagi (bambooXZX translation)_

 

* * *

 

At a point in time years before, a child was born into this world with a wish—a child who had a different name, once. But the second time around, the name she was given was  _Namikaze Namie_.

Over time, others would come to know her differently.

_The Ogre of the Battlefield._

_The Sanbi's jinchūriki._

_The Hokage's sister._

This was a child who had known death, and faced it down several times over the course of her new life.

She hadn't only known death; she knew the fate of the world at large. Of the people who had become her family. Of the people she'd grown to love and care for. The story of their lives, the near-complete information, was at her fingertips like an encyclopedia of the past, present, and future.

It was a future she could never allow to exist.

It was a future the world  _wanted_  to exist.

So, she fought to change the flow of time—and succeeded. Pierced her will deep into the ether and clawed through fate itself to dig trenches where the inevitable would split apart and forge new paths.

She created a new future.

But not alone. No, never alone. Without the friends and family at her side, none of this would have come to pass.

_They_  created the new future. A second chance at life, for all.

The child's—Namikaze Namie's—wish had been granted.

All that remained was to pick up the pieces left behind, and to pave a clear way for the world they'd worked together to create.

 

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

 

The snow-covered hidden village of Konoha sat quiet and still, nestled at the base of four stone faces that watched over it in the midst of winter, with stars and moon shining above. Night had fallen long ago.

Most villagers were sound asleep, or preparing to burrow under warm blankets and the embrace of family or lovers until morning.

Two, maybe three, dogs yipped in the distance. Too far away from here, but the sound echoed and carried far.

No. There were no strays in this neighborhood—not in this immaculate clan compound.

No stray dogs, anyway.

Under the faint light of the moon, though, shapes and shadows shifted, shooting from cold, bare tree branches to snow-powdered rooftops. One—two—three. Four. All speeding through the night until they arrived at this particular compound, alighting on its high walls and leering into the candle-lit interiors beyond the closed shoji screens and doors.

This was the Hyūga Clan compound. And within it, a child had recently celebrated her third birthday. With her mother. Her father. Her uncle. Her cousin.

These strays were not present to bring her a belated gift, nor to impart their well wishes for many more years to come. Like sentinels, they watched. Waited. Until the final, rounded flame of candle light flickered into nothing and left the home dark. Until the final maid retired down the hallway and slid her bedroom door shut with the quiet, muffled sound of wood clacking against wood.

Until the night was silent.

Then, they moved.

One, taking off in another direction—down the street, to douse the nearest street lamps and provide even darker cover as well as provide incentive to avoid the area, should any wander by. And to keep watch, should any wanderers pass through regardless.

One, crouching down atop the wall surrounding the property.

Two, leaping down into the pure white courtyard, traveling across the snow as they crept toward the traditional silhouette of the clan's main house. Toward what slept within.

Toward what they would soon take as theirs.

 

* * *

 

There wasn't really an actual Christmas in Konoha.

But the holiday still stuck in mind, and Namie celebrated it anyway. Miho didn't care either way. Sai certainly didn't complain about random presents around the end of December. Neither did her brother's family—including the newest addition of a redheaded little girl with her father's eyes. Uzumaki Nako. Naruto's beloved baby sister by almost two years—already a firecracker, just like her brother, and a bit of a brat, to boot. Both kids, but Nako in particular, enjoyed being showered with gifts from their one and only aunt who pampered them without prompt.

No one objected to random presents at all, in fact, especially not Ueno Kasuga, or Inuzuka Toboe, or her almost-parents Harumi and Sei, whose graves never went without offerings and little trinkets that she thought they'd enjoy, so she just kept giving them as the years passed.

The day had already come and gone, but missions and meetings pushed her normal schedule back just a bit. It wasn't really a problem. All she had to do was make up for it with a quick visit to whatever shops were open past sundown.

She looked down at the paper bag held close to her chest, feeling the bumps of folded clothes and plastic chew toys within. The corner of a sketchbook poked out, too. All of that did little against the cold, though. Her breath fanned out in front of her, coiling around her in a cloud as she walked through it, and snow piled up against her closed-toe boots as she trudged forward.

The snow had stopped falling some few hours ago, and the hills that had collected along the roads would remain through the chill of the night. Probably would melt in the sunlight the next day, and sit in puddles until the dark of the evening cooled it to sleek ice.

The streetlight above flickered as she passed underneath. She stopped and watched as it burnt out completely with an abrupt and startling crackle. Looking ahead proved the others had also gone dark and cast the street in eerie shadows and muted silhouettes with long-stretching, tangled black hands and spindly fingers from property trees surrounding them. There were no apartments or businesses in this neighborhood—it was the traditional, scenic route—and no lit windows around. The only light guiding her way now was the moon above.

Half full.

She clicked her tongue and sighed quietly, pulling the crinkled shopping bag just a bit closer against the thick, cable-knit navy sweater hanging from her shoulders. It kept her warm, but not warm enough to bring on the flash of sweat that prickled all across her skin and trickled fast down her back, soaking into the shirt she wore beneath it.

No, not normal—not in this cold.

Something sharp lingered in the air, like the blade of a cleaver waiting to drop. Tense, taut. She hadn't faced combat in a while and she was probably rustier than she'd like to admit—but instincts never dulled.

The night was too quiet.

Moonlight glowed in narrowed sea-blue eyes as she scanned the area, checking the shadows for ambush. Nothing gave itself away. But, no, it wouldn't, would it? The soles of her boots crunched against the packed snow as she shifted, then took a cautious, measured step forward.

The blade dropped.

Sliced through the air where she'd been standing—would have landed a nasty wound if she hadn't jumped out of the way at the last second.

She hit the ground in a crouch and abandoned the paper bag, letting its contents scatter free across the snow. Raised her right hand as Aura's bright chakra surged across it like a wave.

Just in time to block the second sword strike.

"What the hell's this about?" she spat, sizing up her opponent as the katana pushed against her shielded hand in a back-and-forth struggle of equal force—and stopping short, breath catching in her chest. Her eyes, wide, now, darted between the grinning blue face notched with black, the bright, beady eyes shining in the moonlight, the Kirigakure plate gleaming at his forehead, and the blade in his hands. Young—he was younger than she'd ever seen him, around her age, now. And brimming with confidence. "Just a normal sword...? No—more importantly, why is someone like  _you_  in Konoha?"

"No hard feelings, but I'm on guard, here. If you wouldn't have stopped, I probably would have let you pass. But, you see, you  _did_. Looked like you were gonna start some shit I could do without. So here we are." His voice was deep, and as rough as the sharp, serrated teeth set in his mouth. He wrenched the katana out of her grasp, briefly throwing her off-kilter, and she ducked as it slashed diagonally above her, whistling through the empty space.

A typical, traditional style—much like the one Kyouya used. Similar enough that she could predict his strikes partially, at least.

(Sometimes sparring matches paid off.)

That wasn't what worried her—it was the massive, bandage-wrapped bundle with a hilt sticking out of it that was strapped to the back of his dark flak jacket that did.

"Looks like this is an inconvenience for both of us. I have somewhere to be, so I'd really rather skip all of this," she coolly informed him before gritting her teeth and raising her chakra shield to clash with the oncoming katana once more, pushing it forward. It didn't faze him. He righted his grasp on its hilt and struck again, even as the steel blade refused to pierce through her guard. "But, shark man, if it's a fight you want, you're getting it." She bit out the last word as she shoved it back at him again, effectively disengaging the blade, and kicked up a mess of snow to conceal the heel that shot toward his knee.

It didn't connect. He moved back, and with that minute distance, she seized the opportunity to perform a series of concentrated, single-handed seals, reaching into Isobu's chakra store and spitting a clean jet of water that pierced through the air in thin, swift streams, each freezing into deadly icicle spears in the winter chill. His katana sliced through most of them, but couldn't stop the momentum. Shattered shrapnel hit the tender membranes of his eyes.

He flinched—she took the chance to run. Thought briefly about picking up the shopping bag as she passed it by, but put that aside in favor of biting into her thumb and smacking her hand against the nearest wall, leaving a short, horizontal smear of blood that spidered out into a summoning seal.

An old, grey-feathered hawk burst from a cloud of white smoke with a shrill cry, wings beating in the air alongside her as she ran. One eye stared at her, harsh, with the other covered by a black patch. His notched beak parted in a semblance of a grumpy sneer.

"Damn, sorry Takumi, I meant to summon Hisami. I need you to take a message to my brother—Kiri's here in Konoha, on attack. Don't know why. Just sound the alert! And send Kurumi, if you can. I'm not exactly equipped to handle this kind of fight right now."

Takumi scoffed, narrowing his beady eye as he took to the sky. "You're  _perfectly_  equipped for this, ya dumb kid."

She blinked, a wry grin rising to her face as she watched him go, straight and true toward the Hokage's office. "If you say so, old man. Guess it's about time to get back into the swing of things, huh?"

As soon as Takumi was out of sight, she dug her heels into the snow and turned to face her opponent, who ceased pursuit and stopped a few, measured paces away. For the first time, he seemed to take note of her short, bright blonde hair, the mole on her chin, and her missing arm. The golden chakra shield, too—he connected the dots.

But not before Isobu's chakra surged across her form, cloaking her in a blazing film of pure energy, sprouting three tails, with one where her left arm would be.

"Shit," he began oh-so-eloquently, sharp shark teeth bared into something resembling a grimace or a sardonic grin. "Of all the people to run into in Konoha. The Ogre of the Battlefield  _and_  a  _jinchūriki_. Must be my lucky day!" That wasn't dread—that was amusement. Adrenaline thrill. He tossed the normal katana into one of the snowbanks that flanked them and reached for the hilt of the second sword on his person. Barely a blade at all, large and misshapen, like a beast, wrapped head to hilt in clean, white bandages.

_Samehada_.

"I probably should've mentioned one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist is present," Namie said to herself, eyeing the great sword with a glare, well aware of its dangers. Tailed beast chakra versus a chakra parasite—this couldn't be a close-combat kind of fight anymore. She spoke to him, next, never taking her attention from him and that damned beast of a weapon. "But—who hired you? I wasn't aware you were a mercenary group. What poor bastard is stupid enough to sneak into Konoha?"

"This isn't mercenary work," he refuted, returning the cautious observation and not yet making a move. Biding his time, maybe. Figuring out how to best use his sword's advantage against her. "I'm surprised you had to ask. Did you have no idea Kirigakure sent an alliance envoy to meet with your Hokage brother recently?"

"Doesn't look like much of an alliance to me."

"Looks like it won't be, either, since you had to go and blow the whistle, Ogre."

She huffed an annoyed breath at the unpleasant nickname. "People usually run when their plan fails. What's keeping you here, Hoshigaki Kisame?"

"I didn't think I was that well-known in other countries, yet. I'm a little flattered." His sharp teeth met in a grin. He readjusted the hilt of the sword in his grip and readied to lunge as he watched the Sanbi's three lashing tails still. "But things are still going according to plan. Just a little earlier than expected."

The snow at his feet exploded in a powdery burst as he shot forward, giving her no time to process his words. No, with that speed, she had to focus fully on evading, on diving away and landing in a crouch just as Samehada's wrapped scales slammed through the space she'd barely escaped, dragging away a fraction of Isobu's chakra easier than tearing cobwebs free from tree branches.

She felt it.

The sole of Kisame's sandal then struck out and caught her square in the side, but no sooner knocked her off-balance than one of her armored tails cut through the fabric of his black pants and dug into flesh with the clawed end, swiping out a good chunk of meat and blood.

Then, as that leg crumpled, no longer able to support him fully, Samehada came down with a roar, ready to devour. Namie had no time to move—raised her tail-arm and let the hit make contact, sacrificing that chakra to the leech as she pushed back and dashed away to put distance between them once again.

The sword pulsed—writhed. Grew. The bandages split apart, shredded into nothing as Samehada's sharpened scales cut through and it squirmed its way free, straining against its hilt and almost wailing as a drooling maw lined with fangs burst out. As a tongue moved between those fangs, still coated in drool, dripping with it, and tasted the air.

A shudder rippled through her. Whatever that thing was, it was an abomination. A true monster.

And it wanted to eat her alive.

Kisame laughed as he kept a firm grip on the hilt, teeth glaring in the moonlight as he spoke. "How unfortunate. Looks like Samehada's got a taste for turtle. It's too bad I have to keep you alive. But…she hasn't had a feast in a while, so let her have some fun, would you?"

Namie checked her left side, briefly. Noted that the tail was gone:  _completely_  sucked away. One direct hit siphoned a full third of Isobu's manifested chakra—two-thirds remained. A little less, considering the small bit it stole before. If it all drained out… Her chakra shield would be out of the question. Close combat was a definite no go. Earth Release could only get her so far, and he was a water nature affinity himself…

She patted her thigh with her right hand, quickly. No weapons. Not even a spare explosive tag.

Still no mallet, either.

Well, so much for being well equipped for a fight against a chakra vacuum monster.

The heel of her boot slid against the frozen ground just slightly as she shifted her weight back.

Kisame watched, beady eyes completely smug, anticipating retaliation which he'd only thwart with his beastly sword. "I have to say, Ogre, you're a little underwhelming. Back during the war, I always hoped we'd cross paths. Now, I'm glad we never did. I'd be bored to death."

Perhaps he thought provoking her would lure her into close proximity—it didn't.

The smirk dropped from his face as she turned on her heel and ran.

Returning to a tactical retreat was her best option, at this point. And he wouldn't make it easy—that much, she expected. Didn't realize how true it was until a thick, chasing mist wrapped around her like smoke and obscured her vision and made every blind, running step she took unreliable.

Something whistled through the air—split through the mist and sliced into her side as she tried to dodge it. Another nicked her shoulder, cutting through fabric to skin. Another sliced into her thigh.

The cuts stung—weren't any worse than papercuts, but they ached, like hooks digging into her skin and pulling. Pulling something…

She looked down at the blood smeared flesh of her thumb, where she'd bit into it for summoning her hawks, and her eyes shot open as she saw golden-orange wisps seeping away from the tiny, open wound.

" _Shit!_ "

Around her, the mist sapped at her chakra, funneling it straight into Samehada's maw like some kind of fucked up straw.

She clicked her tongue. Grit her teeth, and stuffed away Isobu's chakra before any more could be taken. Focused her own chakra into her right arm, performing a quick series of one-handed seals to summon up a colossal mound of earth—grabbing onto its edge as the craggy wall rose up and out of the mist, arcing high through the air and taking her to safety.

As the mist swirled, dissipated like clouds broken through and brought her back into the cleared night with the moon returning a light source to her, she released the edge of the wall. Free-fell through the air until her feet hit the roof of a tall apartment building—the beginning of the village's urban center. Well away from the historical compound neighborhood.

No pursuer in sight.

Namie clutched at the chain-link fence lining the rooftop eaves and sucked in a few shallow breaths as she scanned the horizon, from the twisting earthen wall out of place, to the buildings neighboring this one, and then dropped her gaze to the streets, where nothing stirred.

Not immediately—but, then, she could see shadows moving. Blurring through the night as they body-flickered from rooftop to rooftop, heading in the same direction she'd just escaped.

ANBU. A response unit. Right on time.

Then—a presence flared up at her side, and a heavy hand moved through the air.

She gnashed her teeth, like a beast cornered, and turned red, half-human eyes filled with intent to murder to the shinobi as their hand froze a scant distance away from her chakra-cloaked shoulder, halted by both it and her glare.

"Obito!" She breathed out the name in relief, pure delight. Isobu's chakra slowly faded back in again as she leaned fully against the fence, afraid her shaking legs would fail her at any second as the adrenaline still surged and chakra exhaustion set in. "Goddamn, you scared me for a sec."

"I didn't think anything could scare you, Namie-senpai," he said with a slight smile, exhaling away the brief, heart-stopping alarm from only moments ago and finally resting a warm hand on her shoulder. He spoke to her, but his Sharingan reflected red as he stared out across Konoha, toward where the other ANBU had gone. Maybe checking to see what had chased her so far. To see if it was still around. "But, uh, let's get you some help. Get you outta here. You're lucky I happened to be on duty tonight. And—I guess it's a good thing I  _was_  the one who saw you. Anyone else might've gotten pretty beaten up, with the way you looked…"

She stared at him with lips pressed into a thin line, searching for a different answer, as he scratched at his spiky black hair—grown out, again, to a normal length that suited him as a teenager—and then pulled the white ANBU cat mask squashing it down back over his scarred face.

He opened a link into Kamui that sucked them both in—and a moment later, deposited them at the administration building, in the well-lit hallway outside the Hokage's office. The door flung open wide, as soon as their feet hit the carpet—and out walked Minato, a little tired, but hiding the shadows under his eyes pretty well with a serious glower, fully-decked out in his scarlet-trimmed Hokage cloak and Konoha forehead protector. He'd kept the long hair from their outlaw days, and it hung in a low, loose ponytail at the base of his neck. The bangs, though, he kept the same, spiking out around his face as they always had.

"I was naïve. Kiri fooled me with an alliance treaty, but I wanted to believe this was a step in the right direction and it blinded me…" He sighed, running a weary hand across his face as he gestured them into the office with the other. "But  _you're_  alright, and that's more than I can ask for. I sent Kakashi to guard Kushina just in case, and Rin's studying late with Tsunade tonight. Everyone is in good hands."

"Everyone wants to believe peace is the end goal, here. They're in the wrong; not you." Namie shook her head as they followed him in. "But I don't think that's what they were here for. Not totally. I ran into a guy called Hoshigaki Kisame, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist—he didn't even know who I was until I showed the tails."

"They were around the Hyūga compound," Obito added, pushing his mask up and away from his face once again so his voice rang clear.

"Hyūga?" Namie repeated, quiet. Put her hand to her head and tried to recall something, anything, about the name that wasn't just related to a certain, sweet and bashful little purple-haired girl and the Byakugan. But, then again, wasn't that the most important aspect, here? "Wait—how old is Hinata?"

"Hinata? The clan head's daughter? She's two—no,  _three_ —today. They celebrated her birthday. I sent a gift," the last sentence was a bit strained, and a pinch of exhaustion showed in his face at the mere mention of the clan. She didn't really blame him—they were a whole hot mess as far as the old ways went.

"Hyūga Clan…Hinata…three… No, but—wasn't that  _Kumo?_  Why is Kiri here? What kind of connection does Kirigakure have to the Hyūga? The Byakugan?"

Minato watched her carefully as he leaned against his desk, arms crossed. "One was stolen during the last war—a Byakugan. The shinobi who took it was never identified and fled back to their country. Hiashi has lobbied for reparations for years, but we're in no position to make demands… Did it bring back a memory?"

She nodded. "There's something about Hinata being kidnapped as a child. I think by Kumo. I don't remember  _why_ , but—" She paused and exhaled, closing her eyes in annoyance. "It's always a kidnapping, isn't it…? Shit. I wish I could've mentioned this sooner."

"It's not your fault. There was already  _so_  much you told us. But—we should go to the Hyūga Clan's main house and meet up with the ANBU unit I dispatched. Just to be safe. I can't let a child of Konoha, or one of its dōjutsu, fall into the wrong hands."

"If you'd have said that the other way around, I would've worried. But, let's go." She held her blood-smeared hand out, fully expecting him to take her along with the Flying Thunder God transport, but he only watched her with a slightly apologetic expression before vanishing in a flash. Obito, too, swirled away into Kamui with nothing but a sorry-but-you're-not-coming-along-looking-like-that glance her way.

"Yeah, okay, I know I look like crap, but couldn't you have at least dropped me off at Mom's or Kushina's or something…?"

As it was, she was left behind. Alone, tired, and lacking quite a few Christmas gifts that hadn't exactly been cheap.

 

* * *

 

Minato and Obito arrived at much the same time—through stacking space-time techniques, with Obito stamped with the Flying Thunder God Seal that allowed Minato an access point as soon as he stepped out of Kamui. Knowing kunai could get lost or taken, or thrown away and used and broken in the midst of battle, it was a backup plan he utilized only with those who volunteered—which happened to be most of his family. Obito, Kakashi, Rin, Namie, Kushina, Naruto and Nako. Just in case anyone got kidnapped.

Unfortunately, it didn't extend to village clan members.

The doors to the traditionally immaculate clan property were wide open to allow them through, and a hog-masked ANBU and three Hyūga stood nearby, some shivering in the snow, some warming themselves with chakra. Others poked their heads out from their rooms, watching from the porches, and closer to the main house, Hiashi and his twin brother—perfectly identical, and not only in looks, but temperament as well—stood among two other ANBU who discussed the issue, remaining calm even in the face of the distraught clan leader.

Dealing with the Hyūga clan was never easy. This, he knew well, not only from conversations with his old genin teammate Ayase, but also clan politics that he became familiarized with upon taking up the Hokage mantle. And now—now, with this infiltration and proposed kidnapping or almost-kidnapping riling them, it'd be even less pleasant.

As he and Obito approached, with the latter joining his fellow ANBU, all eyes turned to him.

"I'm pleased to see that you are taking this matter seriously, Hokage-sama," Hiashi said dryly, jaw set rigid in barely-concealed anger as he turned to face him, ice-pale eyes narrowed. Not a composed as he would usually be, but still speaking with thinly-veiled sarcasm. "My child has been taken right from her bed and these buffoons have nothing to say on the matter of pursuit."

Despite his words, he didn't seem largely concerned about the child herself—but the fact that she'd been stolen away from his home. The fact that criminals had infiltrated his home and taken something that was his. The fact that there were so many shinobi with  _Byakugan_  present, and yet…

"This is in no way a coincidence, with Kirigakure's current visit. You allowed those barbarians into this village—and the moment you look away, they do nothing but bring trouble." As he spoke, four Hyūga armed and dressed for combat arrived at his side, and upon closer inspection, Hizashi had donned his forehead protector—as if ready to pursue the captors themselves. "This is now a clan matter. We will take care of our own."

It took everything he had to keep his expression neutral. "Stand down, Hiashi. I came here so  _you_  wouldn't have to trouble yourself. We'll bring your daughter back, and whoever is responsible for this will be dealt with appropriately. We don't have to make a war of it."

"The Byakugan  _must not_  be taken again."

"Right… I understand. We'll bring the Byakugan back. Your daughter won't be harmed."

That said, he nodded to Obito, whose Mangekyō glinted behind the eyehole of his squinty-eyed, grinning cat mask. Already seeking out a familiar chakra signature, and a series that were fleeing. He took off immediately, and the two ANBU followed.

"I'll allow it. But be aware, Yondaime-sama, that if my clan's dōjutsu is taken once again, I will retaliate against the thieves with or without your sanction."

Minato cast one final glance at Hiashi before disappearing in a flash to join the search and return Hinata to her home.

Maybe her mother would be happy to see her, in any case. 

 

* * *

  

He caught up to Obito and the others without delay—they already had a lead on the Kiri kidnappers, if the direction they were headed toward was anything to go by.

Out of the village.

"How many?" he asked the cat-masked Obito as he landed on the same branch at his side before they both leapt from it in perfect synch.

"Five, minus the kid. They're not too far ahead, but if they speed up any, I might lose 'em. But—there's something weird about one of their chakra signatures. It's just like Namie's. And it doesn't seem like it's exactly a person—it's not moving like the others. It's stationary, and shaped like…a sword?"

"She did say one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist was present. We'll have to exercise caution."

"Yeah, and—wait. Two stopped!"

No sooner than Obito sounded the alert did a volley of shuriken halt their advance.

The two ANBU accompanying them stepped in immediately to intercept the attack and engage the enemy so he and Obito could continue on. Masked men clashed with masked men in a flurry of tantō blades singing as they sliced through the air.

"They're close," Obito said, ducking down from the treetops and returning to the bare, dirt ground, already well beyond Konoha. Minato remained above, and nodded to him as they split up, one shadowing the other.

He continued running, and when he entered a clearing free of tangled branches overhead, the Kiri nin stood, waiting.

One, a blue-skinned man with a behemoth of a sword strapped to his back, and another, a man with a single eye and swept-up blue hair held up by his Kiri forehead protector. In the latter's arms was Hinata, fainted—or just put to sleep with genjutsu to keep her compliant. Bundled up in warm pajamas, at least, and held close to the man's flak jacket to prevent the cold from reaching her. At least they were somewhat considerate.

All chakra signatures were accounted for.

Obito stepped forward, red eye glinting from the only eyehole of the winking cat mask. "Give back the kid and you'll get out of here alive."

"Says one, single shinobi from Konoha," the blue-skinned man said, tone full of mocking as his shark-like teeth glinted in the moonlight.

"I'm more than enough," he said, and it was true. He didn't need a tantō, or a kunai, or shuriken. On his own, he was a one-man army. All he needed was that eye, and the skills brought on by that cell-infused body of his. He'd honed them well over the years.

"He's biding time. He wouldn't attack and endanger the child," the man with the eyepatch said, his other eye watching him shrewdly, narrowed and crinkling at the edges with stress lines. That, and the gauntness to his face revealed that he was the oldest present, and the coolheaded behavior revealed he was likely the leader of this operation.

Minato couldn't remember seeing either present during the alliance meeting—no, a young woman had been at the helm of the operation, along with four nondescript shinobi that could have included these two and the two previous masked nin, under careful disguise.

Worst case scenario, though, would involve backup. At least five others could be joining them, soon.

"Right, right. The kid—y'know, I didn't think this involved taking a  _kid_ , by the way. She's so little! This's probably gonna traumatize her for life."

"Not if our demands are met swiftly."

"Demands—yeah. Hey," the shark-toothed man called across the clearing to Obito, "you should know, this won't be a hostage situation for much longer if you agree to a trade. One of your jinchūriki for the Hyūga girl. Specifically, the blonde one. We have some unfinished business."

" _Kisame_ ," the man at his side chided, displeased by his handling of the matter, and also giving him a name. "Focus on the main objective."

"That's out of the question." Obito didn't even have to consider the offer—it was bullshit, and  _they_  knew it.

"Look, we're being generous, here. We could ask for the  _Kyūbi_ , but—well, that's just plain stupid, and we both know it. But—the Sanbi was held by Kirigakure before it mysteriously switched hands and ended up with  _your_  village. Getting a Byakugan user in return for that is payment enough. In fact, we could leave right here, right now, and be no worse off. So, alright. I'll take that back. We'll accept either of the Sanbi's jinchūriki in return for this child."

"Why just one? What'll keep you from coming back for the other?"

"Loss of the element of surprise, for one."

"And on the topic of surprise, we're aware the Yellow Flash is present, hiding in the trees." The blue-haired man smirked, eyes trained directly at Minato—almost meeting his, in fact. "Or should I say the  _Yondaime Hokage_."

There was no point in setting up an ambush, now. Minato appeared at Obito's side in a flourish of his red and white cloak and narrowed his eyes, staring them down. "You must be the one who stole one of our shinobi's Byakugan. Funny that you're trying to make demands when you're the ones who owe this village." He smiled, without kindness. "Or, we could chalk this up to an even trade, and you'll return that child to us. A tailed beast for a dōjutsu  _is_  a decent trade. Looks like both sides of it have already been fulfilled."

"I find it hard to believe you'd be so generous. That, and, we have our orders."

"Of course. I didn't think it would be so easy. The damage has already been done, from kidnapping that child to attacking my sister."

In other words, this was no longer a trade, but a showdown.

Obito understood his cue.

A three-pronged kunai and Wood Release branches launched toward the two Kiri shinobi simultaneously, one in a straight line toward the man holding Hinata and the other chasing across the ground in jagged tendrils toward Kisame.

The Byakugan thief saw it coming—avoided the grab Minato made for the child.

But he couldn't avoid Obito appearing in his blind spot through Kamui, at his feet, no less, and starting up a whirling void to suck him straight into the dimension. He faltered—his hold loosened on the child. Minato made a second grab for her as the man fell victim to Kamui as a captive, and flashed away and out of the proximity of the technique before he and Hinata got caught up in it as well.

He reappeared in one of the trees he'd been hiding in before, hand set on a kunai that had been stuck into the thick trunk of one only moments before.

Now, only Kisame remained.

But he was smart enough to know when he was outclassed. He clicked his tongue, full of bitterness and with teeth gnashed, but turned and fled—and in his wake erupted a bursting cloud of mist to conceal his retreat.

It wouldn't protect him from the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Obito started after him—but paused mid-lunge, with one foot forward, when Minato hailed him down.

"Leave him," he said, jumping carefully from the treetops with Hinata held warmly in his arms and behind the safety of his cloak. Her small nose was beginning to look awfully red from the cold. "We have his partner. Whether one, or none, return to Kiri, we'll be hearing from them again regardless."

Obito straightened up and rolled one of his shoulders before running a weary hand through his spiky hair. A deep sigh sounded from behind his mask, puffing out into the frozen air through the nose holes. "So they're finally cashing in on our possession of the Sanbi, huh? I honestly thought they'd never get around to it, with as long as they took."

"I expect those Kirigakure envoys that were in on this hoax have made themselves scarce, too. I suppose the fact that we've agreed to an alliance was a preventative measure against immediate retaliation. In fact, I wouldn't put it past them to flat out  _ask_  for a jinchūriki as a show of goodwill. It's always about sharing the wealth, isn't it…?" He frowned as he looked away from the treeline, where Kisame had escaped, and sighed. "I'll get Hinata back to her family. You go alert the T&I division that you've captured an enemy."

At the very least, Hyūga Hiashi would be pleased to learn they'd finally found the infamous shinobi who'd thieved away his clan's Byakugan.

 

* * *

 

Namie didn't leave the administration building. She left her brother's office, certainly, because waiting there felt way too awkward when no one else was around, especially since that office had never been the stage of pleasant memories. Instead, she paced in the hallway outside the doors, half-considering summoning Kurumi to fly her back to that neighborhood so she could maybe pick up a rematch against that damned shark creep, this time appropriately prepared.

…Or, just to take her home. It had already been quite the night. Heading straight to sleep would be just great right about now, under normal circumstances.

But none of this was normal.

Minato returned soon enough. She saw him land in a crouch in the center of his office, through the doors that had remained open. When he spotted her, he all but rolled his eyes—she definitely caught that. Then, he put a hand to his head and massaged his left temple as an exasperation headache no doubt set in. Without a word, he waved her in, turning his back to head to the other side of his desk and collapse in his comfortable-looking not-quit throne.

"What? I was worried," she defended feebly, shrugging a shoulder as she shut the door behind her and approached his desk.

"You need rest. What did that Kiri Swordsman do to you?"

"Right—that guy was Hoshigaki Kisame. Future member of the Akatsuki—once upon a time. That ugly sword of his is a chakra-eating monster and it took a few mouthfuls of mine. Other than that,  _he_  didn't really do a number on me. Say anything else about it and I might get offended," she huffed, setting her right hand on her hip. Her voice softened. "Is Hinata okay…?"

"She's fine. They didn't harm a hair on her head. I would say her family is beyond overjoyed to have her returned, but you know how they are. Even her  _mother_  was a bit standoffish… I think I saw a maid carrying her back to her room while the adults conferred."

"Yeah, the Hyūga bigwigs are jerks. Nothing new there. Maybe I'll look into adopting the kid so she doesn't have to grow up with their icy bullshit."

"Namie, you can't adopt every kid facing hardship."

"Just  _watch_  me."

This type of conversation wasn't new—but he was right. No matter what she said, she didn't exactly have the means to care for a number of children, and with the jinchūriki unification project taking up her time and sending her away from Konoha soon, she didn't have much time to spend with Sai, either.

(Tried to make up for it with lots of presents and kindness, though.)

"…We were pretty lucky growing up, weren't we?" Minato asked as a small, fond smile worked its way to his face.

"Yeah…we're lucky Mom cares so much."

Namie watched him as he continued to idly knead at his forehead, staring down at the papers stacked neatly across his desk. Not many—he was fairly diligent, as far as paperwork went, and liked to keep it to a manageable level. Mainly because he, unlike the elderly Sandaime, was still a common fixture on the field, actively taking part in Konoha's dealings. Much like tonight's event.

"You need rest, too," she said lightly, knowing hearing things like that just stressed him out—but she could say the same. They'd had their share of rest during the past few years.

As much rest as raising children could provide, anyway. She only had the one to worry about (and, god, she never wanted to change another dirty diaper again  _ever_ ), but he had two. And unlike his predecessor, he played an active role in his family's life, as well. Sometimes, he took care of Naruto and Nako in this very office, entertaining them in the midst of his duties.

Shit. He had so much to balance in his life that it was a wonder he managed to keep up with everything and not fall over exhausted or god forbid work himself to death. Adaptation was one hell of a talent.

"So—hear me out. I'll help you, full-time. Until this whole Kiri thing blows over."

"Namie…you know you can't do that. I appreciate it, I really do, but next month you're scheduled to meet with the Kazekage in Suna. It can't be pushed back again. I have others I can rely on—I  _do_ , I just…don't ask for help often enough."

"Well, better make a habit of it. You'll need it, since peace time is apparently over."

"Dammit… I know." At length, he looked up and met her stare before rolling his eyes at her smug expression. "By the way, you were wrong. Their objective  _was_  to trade Hinata for a jinchūriki." She shrugged, noncommittal, but his intent wasn't to rub it in her face in a told-you-so way. No, that wasn't his style. "It's a good thing you  _are_  leaving the country, soon. In fact—that Kisame might come after you again to make up for tonight's blunder. I'm assigning you a guard." Saying so, he shuffled through the documents on his desk, pulled a few files out and then reached to one of the drawers at his side.

Any other time, she'd reject that. But, even well-prepared, that chakra-chomper Samehada was the very bane of her existence. "Who?"

"Kakashi, of course." He jotted something down on the papers in front of him, and then unrolled a scroll. Considered it, scribbled something else down, then rolled it up. "Now, I have to figure out how to deal with this mess… Goodnight, Namie." His words held an inarguable finality.

This time, she left.


	2. Chapter Two

The unexpected events from the night before carried through to the morning.

Namie slept well, but did not wake well—woke up, in fact, to Miho kicking her in the side while fast asleep, just shy of seven o’clock.

Far too early for anyone to wake up after a harrowing battle they hadn’t been in practice for.

Far too early for anyone who’d only gotten home a little after three, after a detour back through the Hyūga Clan’s neighborhood to pick up the lost shopping bag. Most of the gifts she’d bought had been ruined—trampled, or stained and frozen through. Only the boxed set of inks she’d bought for Sai and a wrapped bag of slightly-crumbled dog treats made it through. Then, Kurumi had been nitpicky about the cold and only took her halfway home before throwing a tantrum and leaving her to walk home the remainder of the way. But Kurocha was a good boy, and he’d been waiting for her most of the evening—set out when she didn’t return at the usual hour, and met her halfway to chaperone her back home. She’d never say no to his warm, hot-cocoa fur.

Not even Sai was awake at this hour practicing his art skills and remained instead bundled up on the futon beneath several blankets with Miho, probably snuggled close to her back and well away from any accidental kicking (but maybe, as karma goes, dealing out his own).

Not even the squirrely rooster thought to sound the wake-up alarm at sunrise—as it seemed to have been light for a while, now.

But it was still later than she usually woke, throwing her day of entirely.

And the house was cold, like a damn icebox.

First things first—she stubbed her toe while turning the corner into the hallway and trying to avoid stepping on the sleek black, insomniac one-eyed cat Miho found one day, insisted on keeping and fondly named _Inku_.

She sucked in a deep breath and held back the frustrated yell building up in her throat. Then, Kurocha almost bowled her over in his attempt to race her to the door for his morning greeting with the chickens. She _would_ build him a doggy door, but it would only bring in a draft, and the cold house didn’t need to get any colder.

Before she opened the door for him to set him on his way, though, she offered him his Christmas treats, and he sat obediently as she tossed them through the air for him to snatch up and devour.

He barreled through the snow and darted immediately toward the dwindling garden, asleep for winter save for a few bundled up sections of immature vegetables, and then to the lean-to the chickens used as their coop. He paid no mind to the brisk, chilled air that slapped her face as soon as she opened the door, and just as quickly shut it. _He_ didn’t need a coat, with all that fur.

She grabbed up one of Miho’s garments, a dark grey haori slung on the back of the dining room table chair, and pulled it on over the navy sweats she’d thrown on after returning that night, basking in the warmth it brought.

She sifted through the three sizes of shoes lined up against the walls at the front door and found a good pair of boots—not the ones with the open toe, god forbid, not in this weather, and zipped them up over the narrow bands of her sweatpants before following after Kurocha.

And lo and behold, who was there to greet her in the garden but Hatake Kakashi, her newly-assigned guard, her family, her dear friend and brother of so many years for whom she hadn’t exactly redeemed herself just yet. No, things were still tense between them. Amiable enough, but what had made them family before had…atrophied. Stretched thin with distance. And she still didn’t know how to fix it, or if she even could.

Kurocha, blissfully unaware of the tension, eagerly jumped at Kakashi and all but preened under his attentions as he leaned down to muss the fur between his ears with a gentle, warm palm. God, he loved that big bear of a dog as much as the dog loved him. Maybe Kurocha should’ve remained under contract just so he could keep busy as something other than a lazy farm dog. He was starting to look a bit fat, these days…

“Minato wasn’t kidding about the guard thing,” she said, stepping off the porch and closing the door behind her before it let in too much of the cold. When she returned from taking care of the chickens and the goat, she’d have to set up the space heater. Better to keep Sai from walking on cold floors, since he hated wearing socks. “Are you hungry? I’m making breakfast soon.” She didn’t look toward Kakashi as she spoke.

“I shouldn’t, not when I’m on duty.” On duty, but not masked. He wore his full ANBU getup, minus that dog-like mask of his—didn’t really matter, since his face was always half-covered anyway. Not even wearing a jacket over it—but he was probably just better at using his chakra to keep warm than she was.

It was an issue Isobu constantly nagged her with.

“This is barely a duty. More like a team effort. I’ll even add eggplant to the miso soup, just for you. I think I preserved some… Actually, don’t hold me to that. But there’ll be miso soup either way.”

Running her mouth when she was nervous was a recent habit—and one she could do without. She covered her mouth with her haori sleeve to keep the deep, weary sigh from fluming out into the chilled air.

Really, she shouldn’t be moping.

She was the one who’d hurt him.

He wasn’t as quick to forgive as the others, and the fact that he still spoke to her was lenient enough.

“I’m not hungry.”

Even so, as she gathered the eggs from the coop, he helped carry them in, and assisted by frying up a few of said eggs and setting the table. Just for two—Miho and Sai were still fast asleep.

And, fortunately, there was leftover eggplant for the miso soup.

“I don’t think you’ve been to my house before,” she said, if only to break the reticent atmosphere, because she knew for a fact no one in her family had been to her house. Not even her mother. He didn’t reply right away, and she tapped her finger against her glass of orange juice a few times before catching it and making it still.

He actually didn’t reply at all. Maybe he hated her house. It wasn’t the most charming—maybe even a little shabby, compared to other places in Konoha. Even if she and Miho did their best to renovate and redecorate in their downtime. Recently, they’d gutted the walls to add some insulation and slapped on a bright, sort-of peachy coat of paint onto the new drywall. But neither were handywomen—and the genin they’d hired for help weren’t much good in that department, either. Didn’t do a bad paint job, though. Even if Sai still managed to scrawl his ink doodles—now closer to actual, technical drawings—all over it. And where they weren’t on the walls, his drawings were tacked up all over the fridge, sometimes spilling over onto the wall above the leafy houseplant Hiroto had gifted her some time ago that miraculously stayed alive.

“Are you still living in the same apartment? Close to the Academy?”

He nodded. Somehow managed to sip that soup—and that was all he had at his place—while remaining masked. Or, just slipping it down when her nervous glance darted away. It wouldn’t be that much of a challenge, since her gaze did tend to wander anywhere else.

_‘This is like an awkward family reunion,’_ she thought, raking her brain for a better topic of conversation, looking toward Kurocha, where he stooped with his face half-buried into his food bowl. Maybe the silence would just suit them better after all.

“It’s a nice house,” he said at length, setting down his empty soup bowl and sitting with his hands in his lap, looking like he felt just as awkward as she did, and boy howdy, getting to see an awkward Kakashi was a rare thing indeed. “I can tell a family lives here.” Still, no matter how uncomfortable the situation was, he kept his cool.

“Indeed a family does live here,” came Miho’s purring, playful voice as she rounded the corner with Sai in tow, hand in hand. Even now, Namie wasn’t certain just how far the two were related genetically, but they did share the same sleepy, just-woke-up-but-still-not-fully-awake look—right down to almost mirroring each other as they rubbed at their tired eyes with their knuckles and smiling almost identically at Kakashi as they caught sight of him. “Two women and their child. And a dog, and a cat. And those stinking farm animals outside. Good morning to you, Hatake-san. I’ve heard you’ve become even more popular around Konoha after splitting a lightning bolt with that Chidori of yours. Or, is it called the _Raikiri_ now in honor of that?”

Namie could have intervened, could have told her not to tease him as she grinned like a sly cat, but Sai had let go of Miho’s hand and wandered over to her to wrap his little fingers around her pants and blink up at her with the unspoken question of _where exactly is_ my _breakfast?_ She knelt down to fix the dark green sweater hanging off of one of his shoulders and then took his hands in hers to roll up the too-long sleeves—he’d grow into it sooner or later, but he was a relatively small child at the moment.

Plus, seeing Kakashi’s expression twitch just slightly in response to Miho’s dialogue was worth it. She had a way of getting under people’s skin even with trivial conversation. Fortunately, she only had the opportunity to tease the extended family when attending celebrations and holiday dinners.

“I suppose it could be. Good morning, Nara-san. Sai-kun.”

It was brief, but Namie touched a hand to her chest and massaged the area near her collar bone upon hearing about that technique once Sai had gone on his way and clambered up into one of the dining room table chairs, awaiting his breakfast. Years had passed, and the scars faded, but the sparking, shining light of the Chidori—Raikiri, whatever it was called now—remained burned into her retinas.

Not something she’d want to put herself in the path of again anytime soon.

When she looked back to the table, she caught Kakashi’s eye as he stood from his seat, but it was so short-lived that it might have been coincidental, and neither lingered long on it to double-check. “Anyway, I have training with Rin this morning—can’t be late again. She was pretty pissed, last time…”

Miho breathed a short, dramatic sigh as she pulled her brown hair into a low ponytail and nodded. “Go, go. I will handle the oh-so humble homestead today. Sai and I will head into town for some shopping later. Shall we meet for a late lunch?” She aimed a smile at Kakashi. “Hatake-san is more than welcome to join as well.”

“Sounds great,” Namie agreed nonchalantly as she disappeared around the corner to gather her supplies, perhaps a bit too eagerly leaving Kakashi at the mercy of Miho’s sly smirk.

 

* * *

 

Training with Rin—and Isobu, as he couldn’t very well be left out—was calming, unlike most other training sessions Namie had partaken in. Mainly because their objective wasn’t to outsmart the other or inflict the most bodily damage, or figure out a damning new technique. It was more along the lines of meditation; of syncing up Isobu’s yin and yang chakra to the point where they could communicate via the tailed beast himself, within certain distance.

Now, when Kushina got involved, those were the rowdy and reckless sparring days of tailed beast bomb explosions and a whole other slew of fun and exciting (and painful) techniques, which further damaged their family training ground with ruts in the earth and flooded, artificial swamplands. But days like these were spent indoors, safe and well away from distractions. Utilizing a special training room that had been rebuilt in much the same area as the last, without being dilapidated, drafty and smelly. Close to the hospital, too, so Rin could hurry along to her training courses with Tsunade and Shizune after.

Having access to a tailed beast’s chakra stores did wonders for her medical abilities—and they hadn’t been left wanting _before_. With both skills combined, perhaps she’d gain exemption from Tsunade’s fourth basic tenet and become a rule breaker at record pace. Until then, she seemed more than content studying and researching to help the people of Konoha live better and healthier lives. She often spoke of prosthetic trials involving the Hashirama clone cells on shinobi amputee volunteers, and how leaps and bounds of progress were being made with their adaptations—that they could be made available to the general public within two years. Likely trying to prompt her into signing up for one of the trials for her left arm, but she always carefully skirted around the subject when she poked too close.

Rin, like the others, had grown into a fine adult—or close to adult. Obito would be eighteen soon, and Kakashi and Rin had barely turned seventeen. In height, they’d all well shot past Namie’s five-foot-zero that never gained another inch (only a measly centimeter) even this far into adulthood, though Rin was still the shortest among her former teammates. Seemed taller with the way she held herself so gracefully—her protective kindness made her seem bigger than she was, too. Warm. Safe. A definite healing factor radiated from her. The purple rectangles still painted her cheeks, though she’d grown her hair out long—almost down to her lower back, now.

Too busy to cut it, maybe.

And, Namie couldn’t confirm it, but she was pretty sure Obito was still head over heels for the girl.

Unfortunately, it seemed like _she_ was still quietly head over heels for Kakashi. She always adopted a certain sort of cute, subdued giddiness when he was around.

The ever-present love triangle persisted.

“ _I’d prefer if you didn’t contemplate over my love life, Namie._ ”

The sentence cut through her thoughts like a blade through butter—not spoken aloud, but in her mind. No, through the chakra connection.

“ _Oops. Sorry, Rin_.”

“ _Besides, you can’t tell me you haven’t been in the same position before._ ”

_What are we talking about?_ Isobu’s optimistic, naïve voice broke through the conversation as his chakra—warm, like a sunny ocean or a summer lakeside, and close and comfortable, like a favorite, well-worn coat—surged through between them.

“ _Silly things like love triangles—don’t worry about it, Isobu_ ,” Namie said lightly, wondering what he knew about love and romance, if anything at all. Did… did tailed beasts ever have those kinds of relationships? They were like a family, split from the same source, so it was doubtful, but…?

_I know about love! I can’t say I’ve had a relationship, or felt love towards another in that way, but I experience the world around me through my vessels. There are many different forms of love in the world—it’s a wonderful thing. In a manner of speaking, I love both you and Rin,_ he said, to which she couldn’t help but smile. _We’re family._

Rin hummed a fond laugh. “ _That we are._ ”

Namie, meanwhile, considered how to curb her thoughts better.

“ _I remember hearing Kushina say that love is a necessary component to accepting the tailed beasts. For her, in particular. Kurama is still so steeped in hate that it takes so, so much of its opposite to balance it out._ ” Rin sighed.

_He was bullied,_ Isobu added. _Not all of my brothers and sisters experienced the same life as me. Some faced much hardship from their captors, like Kurama, and Shukaku. And in turn, it leads them to hate humans. So much hate… I don’t want that. I don’t want them to have that kind of life, either._

 “ _And they won’t have to, once this jinchūriki unification plan brings them all together,”_ Namie was quick to reply. “ _Like a big, fancy family reunion. I just regret that we have to meet with Kurama last, despite him being so close. But…after he sees all the work we’re putting into it…and when we get results…there’s no way he could still hold on to so much rage._ ”

“ _One day, we’ll all—_ ”

Rin’s words halted abruptly. Namie opened her eyes and glanced down at the distance marker held in her hand. “We made it all the way to the other side of the building, today. Not bad,” she said out loud, stretching and cracking her back with a low sigh.

_A bigger improvement than last time,_ Isobu agreed, yawning wide. _I’m sleepy, Namie. Can I take a nap, now?_

“Yep. Thanks for the hard work, Isobu. Sleep well.”

_Goodnight…_

His voice faded away from her thoughts as he drifted off into slumber, retreating into his shell.

This jinchūriki unification wasn’t just a political scheme; wasn’t to balance the power between countries and improve relationships—it was a plan to reunite a family. And, more than anything, it was to make Isobu happy. 

Namie returned to the usual training room, and Kakashi stood outside the door on guard, looking bored as his eyes slowly roved over the pages of a small book.

“No way, is Jiraiya’s new _Icha Icha_ book out already?” Namie asked, trying to get a look at the cover, and backing up when he moved the book out of her reach. “I bugged him for copy for _weeks_ and he always turned me away. I even offered to help edit.”

“No—I wouldn’t read that in public. Rin would kill me. It’s just a book.”

“What kind of book?”

“Just a book,” he repeated, not meeting her eyes. The way he said it, it was meant to end the conversation, so she let it go and breathed a sigh as she pushed the door open to see Rin packing up her supplies beside one of the stone benches that bordered the room.

Rin straightened up, brushing her long hair over her shoulder as she looked Namie’s way. In her burgundy-gloved hands was a small, wrapped box tied with beige twine. “I put together a care package for your trip to Wind,” she explained with a small smile. “Just the usual—a fresh stock of medicine, headache reducers, some energy snacks, and your favorite lemon hard candies for an extra sugar boost. _And_ a field guide for desert medical care. I don’t think I need to remind you to keep well hydrated during the journey, but you _did_ forget your water bottle today… Anyway, I have a series of certification exams coming up and I won’t see you again until you get back.” She held out the box with an almost uncharacteristic nervousness, unblinking as she waited for her senior to accept it.

Namie held out her hand and took the box without delay, offering a smile in return. “Thanks, Rin. I can always count on you, can’t I?”

Rin’s smile curved into a frown. “Definitely. If I can’t go along, I’ll do my best to make sure you’re well prepared for a cross-country journey. So be safe. Come back alive and well, and with good news.”

“You’ll hold down the fort while we’re away?”

“Of course. I’ll keep an eye on Obito and Kakashi, too.” Her smile returned, bright once again, as she picked up her supply bag, slung it over a shoulder, straightened the collar of her dark gray kimono top and made her way outside.

“Good luck on those exams.”

Both she and Kakashi waved Rin off as she rushed away to her lessons with Tsunade, and both sighed almost simultaneously as she left their sight. They caught each other’s eye—then Kakashi turned away. Scratched at his mask, then rubbed at one of his shoulders, under his green scarf. The book he was reading before was nowhere in sight.

“It was a book Rin loaned to me,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. Probably just read her eyes, though. He spoke surely enough, as if that’s all he had to say, but his body language said otherwise.

“What kind of book?” she asked again, gentler than before as she set her arm behind her back and shifted her weight. Trying not to come off too strong with the prying, but not quite taking a tone she’d use with Sai, either—compromising for a carefully curious question.

“About the state of a person’s mind. About how…trauma affects people. You know she’s dead set on making healthcare for shinobi so much more improved, with higher standards, better focus on areas that haven’t been emphasized enough before.” He stopped, suddenly, as if preventing himself from rambling.

He never did get the proper guidance for dealing with his father’s death back then. Then, the war started. Then more death. Kannabi. Her reveal, and the ensuing changes.

It was a wonder they were all still functioning, with the way things had gone.

“Not seeing a professional?” she asked dryly. For all the _good_ Inori had done her during her checkup sessions, her opinion on the current psychological unit was left wanting. Then there was Tsunade…

It wasn’t that _she_ was bad at that particular aspect of medicine, she was just undertrained. Her forte had always been physical health, and it showed. Matters of the mind were more the Yamanaka Clan’s area of expertise, and even then, they were more concerned with neurobiological studies than the cure and prevention of mental disorders prevalent among Konoha’s shinobi. Not to mention, she herself had issues therapy could do to soothe.

Well. At least Rin was pioneering the effort to steer healthcare in the right direction.

“No, I don’t think I need to, yet. Things aren’t that bad—the reading helps. Talking with Rin and Obito helps. Training with Gai helps, too. And…” His voice trailed off.

“And?” she prompted.

At first, he kept his silence. Maybe gathering the nerve to say what he wanted to say. Then, at length, his uncovered eye met hers. “…And I think it’s time you and I have a talk.”

Her heart leapt—they hadn’t had a decent conversation in years, unless this counted. But one of the things she’d been agonizing over had finally reached a point where it was being acknowledged, and dealt with. No matter what it would result in.

“Y-yeah! Of course,” she said, if not a bit too enthusiastic, straightening up and taking in their surroundings, just outside of the building that held the indoor training arenas, behind a few other buildings and still far enough away from the street, but still out in the open. Maybe a bit too public a place for a deep, personal conversation. “Um—I’m ready to talk Now. Whenever. Should we go somewhere else?”

“You don’t have anything else scheduled aside from lunch with your girlfriend?”

“Oh, uh—” she paused; considered. Grinned. “Nope. Consider everything else—except that lunch date—cleared.” She’d planned on following up on the previous night’s events with Minato, but that could be put off until later. He was probably still busy taking care of the Kiri aftermath and preventing fallout.

For Kakashi, it could wait.

 

* * *

 

Much to Minato’s displeasure, the envoys from Kirigakure did _not_ make themselves scarce. Not only that, the blue-haired man they’d captured, who’d freely identified himself as Ao, no more, no less, had rigged seal tags that hung from his ears to cover his right eye—where the stolen Byakugan no doubt was—when under inspection. Even when placed under genjutsu, or Mind-Body switched, his fuinjutsu endured.

Without solid evidence that Ao possessed it, he could not inform Hiashi.

Without Ao’s cooperation, there was little proving Konoha’s side of the story and much more that could imply they’d wrongfully imprisoned a foreign dignitary during a sensitive political conference.

The woman representing Kirigakure on behalf of the Mizukage, in fact, suggested just that.

Terumi Mei, despite her young age, was a politician to the core—the veritable right-hand of the Mizukage, though her mode of operation could come across as grating if taken at face value.

“I see much has happened as I slept, Hokage-sama,” she began as they met in the administration building’s conference room for a scheduled follow-up with revisions to the alliance treaty and the physical signing of the documents—and to assess the aftermath. Always punctual, and polite as all hell, sitting prim and proper in royal blue with her manicured hands folded neatly on the tabletop, expression carefully, neutrally cordial, without a shred of inkling visible in those cool green eyes. “Where do we even begin?”

Minato set his Hokage hat on the table’s opposite end, hand lingering on its crown as he considered Mei. “Yes, there is much to discuss. I propose starting from the beginning, actually.”

Mei smiled, sharp eyes never leaving his, composure never cracking as she swept her hand toward the auburn hair that fanned out over her shoulders. “I’d prefer to get straight to the point, if you’d forgive any abruptness: I’d like my guard back. It’s clear to me that there was a small misunderstanding between parties that must have arisen during local tensions I can only hope our village alliance will soon alleviate.”

“A kidnapping is no small misunderstanding. Neither is your guard unit’s physical attack on one of Konoha’s resident _jinchūriki_. The only ‘misunderstanding’ I can fathom here is that Kirigakure considered something so underhanded in the midst of a treaty.” He kept his tone level, never one to rile. No, especially not here. Losing his cool would only work against him—like she intended for it to happen by remaining so flippant.

“I assure you, Hokage-sama, that my aim is and has been to secure an alliance between countries and improve relations. As for what you’re accusing Kirigakure of—what proof have you to show? Claims like that cannot be spoken lightly.” Her smile never wavered. “No child has gone unaccounted for. All jinchūriki are present. No eyewitness reports have been made. In fact,” her smile lowered into a neutral line. “For all I know—now, this is only speculation—my people and I have been caught up in an inside job and wrongfully accused. Or, and I hate to even say it, held up as scapegoats.” 

“Is my word not enough?”

“I would say yes, under normal circumstances, Hokage-sama. You are an upstanding man who values his village. However, I do have to consider the fact that your council did not approve of our alliance in progress and acted against it. That, perhaps, we’ve both been had for fools.”

No outright implication of _him_ being a part of it—she had most certainly been trained to play up her superiors’ standings, even if they were from another country. He couldn’t reply right away, because there _was_ no indisputable proof. He removed his hand from the red Hokage hat and folded his hands across the tabletop, holding them tight. 

“Speculation of events aside, may I remind you that Konoha has no say over a Kiri shinobi’s punishment during armistice?”

And _that_ small issue.

It didn’t matter that Kirigakure was in the wrong—that they’d done exactly as accused, and she was well aware. Politically, this situation put Konoha on thin ice and the slightest wrong move could plunge them both into war. Was it worth it?

No.

Not again—not so soon. She was asking for bygones to be bygones, but not just that. There was more to it. In the way she’d said that _her_ aim was to secure an alliance, specifically.

They would pay for what they’d done, later than sooner. He’d make sure of it, even if he had to take the matter straight to the Mizukage. But, for now…

“Consider it tabled. What’s your true reason for being here, Terumi-san?”

The smile didn’t return to her face. “As I said: to secure an alliance. As for what that entails, exactly…” There was a scroll on the table, near her hands. She reached for it and tapped it thoughtfully. “Kirigakure is still recovering from the war—We don’t thrive as Konoha does. A hostile clan called the Kaguya Clan has taken to antagonizing our shinobi when they venture out of the village, and the attacks are moving ever closer. We’re in need of strength. Of the tailed beast that was taken from us.”

“Of which there is no proof,” Minato commented lightly.

Mei smirked. “We hope for Konoha to bestow us one of the Sanbi’s jinchūriki as a sign of truce and friendship in supporting the village during its troubled times.”

“No—I understand that part. It makes sense. That’s Kirigakure’s reasoning for wanting this alliance. But,” he said, raising his folded hands in front of his face, watching her keenly. “You still haven’t explained _your_ reason, personally.”

Her expression slipped—just slightly, rouge lips pressing together tight—as her hand stilled, pressing flat against the treaty scroll. “I’m afraid you may be under some misconception, Hokage-sama. As head representative, Kirigakure’s reasons are my reasons.”

“Despite Kirigakure’s…headstrong…nature, I find it difficult to believe the Mizukage would sanction any type of behavior that would threaten a treaty between our countries, especially when under reconstruction. You mentioned inside jobs, and people being taken for fools. Tell me, Terumi-san, what happens to you if Konoha fully rejects this alliance and you’re forced to return empty-handed?”

She didn’t have any sugar-coated words in response. Her tone changed, just slightly. “I could ask you the same. What happens if Kirigakure learns one of their shinobi is being held captive without cause?”

“And, if said shinobi is released and allowed to go on his way; to return to Kirigakure with you, unharmed even with possession of that Byakugan, will your Mizukage hold your report at face value? I seem to recall that your village hasn’t quite disposed of its reputation as ‘Village of the Bloody Mist’ wherein traitors aren’t tolerated.”

Mei grew coldly, deathly silent. Didn’t make a move. Her eyes shone in the light filtering in through the windows, unblinking.

Then, she smiled. And when she spoke, the tips of the sharp, unsettling serrated teeth she did well to hide gleamed in the light.

“Well. You are quite the clever man, Hokage-sama. I suppose there’s no reason to pretend, as you’ve seen right through me. I do have my own selfish reasons for this treaty,” she admitted, folding her hands together under her chin and leaning forward slightly, resigned, but not defeated. Not even shaken. “Simply put: I don’t want to be executed. You seem to be aware of my village’s reputation—are you also aware that shinobi who possess _Kekkei Genkai_ are at the lowest rung of the caste system, never quite trusted despite being the first thrown to war? It was no small feat to rise to this position, and with the current Kaguya Clan dispute displaying how dangerous Kekkei Genkai can be when unregulated, it doesn’t help my cause. I have one chance to win my and my fellow Kekkei Genkai users’ safety. That being, to secure an alliance with Konoha, including transfer of a jinchūriki.” She took a breath.

“The Mizukage doesn’t care much for the alliance, except in name. He’s more concerned with reobtaining a tailed beast, as one has escaped and the other has mysteriously appeared in your possession—so much so that he’s willing to go to war to get it back. But I wish for Konoha’s influence to change Kirigakure’s ruthless ways. As it is, it benefits no one.”

Minato watched her for a long time, analyzing her speech, her sincerity. Unlike before, she was straightforward, and genuine. Still polite, but not as obnoxiously so. She wasn’t speaking as a politician from Kirigakure, here. She was speaking as Terumi Mei.

“Those are your terms? Aside from your personal wishes, I assume the transfer of a jinchūriki is listed in the alliance treaty?” he asked, setting his hands on the table and sitting up straight.

“It is.”

“Then I’ll agree to it. With the unlisted clause that Kirigakure also returned the stolen Byakugan to Konoha’s Hyūga Clan. I understand Ao currently holds it. If he returns the eye, he’ll go free, and the alliance will be sealed, effective immediately. Konoha will provide a jinchūriki to Kirigakure within one year’s time. And during the partnership, I’ll do everything in my power to help correct your village’s current path.”

Mei hummed a laugh. “Hokage-sama, you have a deal.”

Crisis averted—for now.

Rather than surrendering Namie or Rin to Kirigakure’s possession, though, the Mizukage would just have to settle for his village’s runaway jinchūriki being returned.

…When said jinchūriki was found.

 

* * *

 

At some point, Konoha had obtained a lake area—small, maybe closer to a large pond—due to part of the major Naka River’s course being diverted from Isobu’s attack and redirecting to a crater that refused to drain. It wasn’t quite a park, as the public tended to avoid it, but from time to time, during the warmer months, adventurous children could be seen wading knee-deep in its waters with the ducks and herons and the few small fish and tadpoles that swam beneath the rippling surface.

Namie only knew about it because it was a nice, relaxing place to practice her Water Release techniques and a steady, reliable source of water that didn’t greatly tax her chakra supply.

As it was, it was a place that was out of the way and mostly deserted—thus, the perfect place to have a lengthy heart-to-heart discussion.

When winters were harsh, its surface froze, albeit thinly. Now, though, it moved freely in its liquid state, clear as glass, with snow clumps from its bare banks drifting into the water and melting away at intervals.

Namie stood at the edge, watching her reflection stare back.

She forgot to brush her hair that morning. It stuck out in short, untamed spikes that smoothing back with her palm did nothing to fix. Her blue jacket didn’t even have a hood to hide it with. Oh well. At length, she moved away from the lake and took a seat on one of the overturned tree trunks at the edge of the muddy bank, where Kakashi waited.

This wouldn’t be an easy conversation.

They weren’t quite sitting side by side, but with some distance between them, like two people sitting on the same tree trunk by chance instead of two people who’d known each other for years—who’d laughed together, cried together, worked together, and lived together. Just—where would he start? What would be bring up first? Should _she_ be the one to start talking? The questions nagged at her as she picked at the pilling, wide navy hem of her jacket and bit at the inside of her cheek.

“The first time we met, I thought you were a brat,” he began, looking out toward the lake. “Don’t get me wrong; I haven’t changed my mind on that. You’re always troublesome. Between you and Obito, I’ve had my share of headaches…” His voice trailed off, into a sigh. She watched him from the corner of her eye as he rested his arms on his knees and rubbed at his forehead. His mouth moved behind his mask, as if starting and stopping to speak. Trying to find the proper words. Then, he stopped—looked up and focused on something that caught his attention.

She followed his gaze to see another ANBU, with a sheep mask, crouching before them, just having landed and disturbing the slushy snow beneath her toeless sandals. Her mask was canted toward Namie, not Kakashi, and she stared into those dark eyeholes with an unpleasant thrill jolting her heart.

“Yondaime-sama wishes to speak with you, Namie-san. It’s urgent.”

It had been several years, but getting notifications from ANBU still left a bad taste in her mouth, even if it was her brother she was going to see. 

Even so, she shook herself from it and mumbled thanks to the agent before turning to Kakashi to confirm he would follow, and they rose to their feet at the same time.

The conversation would have to wait after all.

He left her at the door since he hadn’t been summoned specifically, and by the look on Minato’s face when she stepped into the office, she knew it was a confidential matter involving privacy seals and barriers that let no sound escape their borders.

“Kiri giving you trouble?” she asked as she shut the door behind her, hand lingering against it a moment before she turned to face him and approached with slow steps.

“Nothing I can’t handle. Negotiations went smoothly. The Kiri shinobi named Ao returned the stolen Byakugan to the Hyūga Clan, so Hiashi’s over the moon. But…what do you know about Kirigakure’s second, missing jinchūriki? Which tailed beast would that be?”

And there it was.

Namie relaxed, setting her hand on her hip and tapping her foot as she sorted through her memories, and whether it was something she would know.

“Hmm…not sure. Isobu filled me in on the basic details of his brothers and sisters, so…other than him, a tailed beast suitable for The Land of Water would probably be Saiken. The Rokubi. But I’m not sure where the Nanabi is at this point. There’s two tailed beasts unaccounted for and either could be their missing monster.” Reviewing information of known jinchūriki and tailed beasts was like speculating on the weather, these days, after spending so long constructing a plan to bring them all together. “Why’d you ask?”

Minato kept his expression carefully calm. “Because part of the alliance treaty’s terms include gifting a tailed beast to Kiri. There’s no way I’m selling out you or Rin, so Plan B is to send them a substitute of equal value. The deadline is one year from today. The sooner the better, really. How do you feel about expediting this unification plan?”

Namie stopped. Her teeth clenched together briefly, and she shook hers head a little as the information sank in. “Minato, this plan was supposed to go on for _three_ years, remember? You and Jiraiya were both so gung-ho about taking this plan slow when I pitched it to you. Make contact with three tailed beasts per year—Suna and Kumo are already scheduled! I don’t have time to stress over Kiri’s current problems when I’m leaving in a week.” She held a hand up as he tried to speak, and he only let her quiet him because they were in this together. Not just as family, but as shinobi of equal rank who couldn’t have gotten to this point without each other. “Not to mention you agreed to hand over me or Rin _at all_. I get it, it’s all shifty, shitty politics, but _really, Minato?_ ”

He closed his eyes—looked like he really wanted to put his hand to his head and ease away a headache, but didn’t, and kept his hands folded on the desktop, tight. “It is shifty, shitty politics. More than I’d like. It’s no wonder Jiraiya never wanted this job… But I wouldn’t have agreed to their terms at all if I didn’t have complete faith in you, Namie. _You_ asked for authority over jinchūriki matters and this is your chance to show them up.”

“And if this missing jinchūriki refuses? They aren’t a prisoner. What, then? This is basically a hostage situation already.”

“Convince them. You’re at the helm of creating the jinchūriki organization. Make a separate negotiation involving the same kind of protected status you, Rin, and Kushina have here. You have my full backing and complete authority over its design.”

“Saying that doesn’t make this easier. Sheesh, Minato. You’re not giving me much of a choice.”

“Everyone has their role in this New Future. If you’d prefer rebuilding village infrastructure from the ground up and dealing with clan tensions, be my guest. Or if you’d prefer trying to enter Amegakure in the midst of their civil war to make contact with the Akatsuki, I’ll gladly reassign you to Obito and Kakashi’s unit.” There was no note of malice or even exasperation in his voice, he spoke as if commenting on the weather, but, even so, she held her hand up in surrender.

“Alright, alright. I’m not saying I _won’t_ make this happen. You don’t have to get worked up. I know you have more than enough to worry about already.” This time, she was the one with the headache. She rubbed at her eyes hard, until flickering lights burst behind her eyelids. Taking in the new mission, and the fact that, despite what she was about to say, meant she’d spend the remainder of her time in Konoha gathering information for a lead.

And that talk with Kakashi would have to wait until much, much later.

“I’ll take care of it when I get back. Do me a favor and don’t drop anymore bombshells on me this week? I’d like at least _some_ peace before I leave for Wind.”

He kept his word and didn’t even speak to her again over the next few days, up until the day he saw her off at the village gates.

No, it wasn’t him, but Uzumaki Kushina who surprised her next, packed and ready to go and toting a baby on her back, with another child’s hand held fast in one of her own.

“Hey, Namie-brat, guess who’s chaperoning you on the trip to Wind!”

Really, it caught them both off guard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL here it is, the first new update to the AO3 version. This fic's going a lot slower than I planned but I am definitely still working on it! 
> 
> I don't currently have an update schedule--and probably won't until this fic is at least 2/3 of the way written (at the moment, it only has like 5 chapters done). And it's been a while since I've written anything for it so I'm pretty rusty even with editing over stuff, but it's always fun getting back to Naruto and Namie's version of it :) Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at **peccolias** or **peccoliawrites**.


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